


Another Chance

by Gummie88



Category: Free!
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Helping a Friend, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, One-Shot, hints of depression, old friends reuniting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 23:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15762114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummie88/pseuds/Gummie88
Summary: “Hey, are you okay?” The stranger asks him, concerned.An extreme wave of nostalgia hits Nagisa like a tidal wave. He knows that voice, he’s more familiar with that voice than any other. His eyes squint at the passerby, trying to get a closer look at his face against the harsh sunlight."R-Rei-chan...?""Nagisa-kun...?"





	Another Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Been in a weird mood lately and ended up writing this. I haven't been feeling the best mentally and I tend to project my feelings onto Nagisa... sorry man lol. 
> 
> I was going to add this onto my ReiGisa drabble fic, but I liked it enough and thought it could stand on its own. 
> 
> Please comment and kudo if you like my writing, I'd really appreciate it. It means the world to me <3

He’s so cold. He’s extremely underdressed for the temperature outside, the light jacket and jeans barely keeping away the prominent chill in the early morning air. Any sane person would be well bundled up, and yet Nagisa doesn’t care. It just makes him numb, which is a common feeling he has nowadays. In a way his cold fingers and constant shivering helps him feel more alive than usual.

His butt has no feeling left in it from not moving from its sitting position. His knees are pulled close to his chest; his feet also up on the hard surface of the park bench. He knows the position probably makes him look so much smaller than normal, so vulnerable. Curling in on himself like this is the only way he’s managed to stay somewhat warm. The park is understandably empty at this time of day, the occasional breeze sweeping through the grass and making the tree branches sway. The sun is starting to rise, making the sky a very pale blue with the stars still visible. Nagisa’s tired eyes try to count them as they slowly disappear with the rising sun.

He sniffs for what seems like the thousandth time, his nose insistently running from his low body temperature. He knows he needs to move, to get somewhere inside where it’s warm, and yet he still can’t be bothered. He doesn’t want to do anything else other than stay where he is, curled up and watching the sky change colors. It seems like this sort of thing is happening more often than not, meaning those days where he’s so desperate to feel anything that he puts himself into reckless situations. He’s felt empty for a long time, ever since high school. He didn’t know how hard graduating would be on him when he’d have to completely start over and watch all of his friends move on to be something more while he was left behind with no plan.

He tried moving out to another town, tried to make new friends and turn himself into something. Despite his cheery exterior and the amount of people he interacts with, nothing felt right to him. He just ended up back in Iwatobi and he hasn’t talked to his friends from school in so long now he wonders if they’d even want to see him anymore.

Another particularly violent shiver runs up his back, making his teeth chatter and cheeks sting. He hugs his legs even tighter to his chest, his knuckles white from the grip he has on his jeans. By this time, an occasional person will pass by, mostly people jogging or walking their dogs. Some of them only offer a quick glance and look away, minding their own business. One part of Nagisa is extremely grateful while another part almost wishes someone would say something to him but… how would he even respond? He doesn’t want to answer any questions as to why he’s sitting alone in a park at 6am.

A couple more minutes drag by and he knows it’s about time he should leave, to go back home, as much as he dreads the thought. That house was the most uncomfortable place in the world to him. The sun finally peaks over the horizon, giving him a little bit of warmth on his face. He basks in it, lifting his face up from his knees and closing his eyes. The early morning light reflects off his blond hair and turns it a bright gold.

He hears someone jog by but he doesn’t bother to move or open his eyes, figuring it was just another morning commuter. Instead of hearing the footsteps completely fade away, however, he hears them stop, as if they’ve noticed Nagisa. The boy opens his magenta eyes and looks towards his right, immediately hoping for as little confrontation as possible. He’s met with the sight of someone his age, tall and bundled up in a heavier jacket zipped up to his chin and sports leggings. His breathing is still slightly labored, his breath coming out in visible puffs from the cold. Nagisa’s eyes widen like a deer in headlights and his whole body locks up as the other approaches him.

“Hey, are you okay?” The stranger asks him, concerned.

An extreme wave of nostalgia hits Nagisa like a tidal wave. He knows that voice, he’s more familiar with that voice than any other. His eyes squint at the passerby, trying to get a closer look at his face against the harsh sunlight. He sees a strong jawline and cheekbones covered by the boy’s glasses, which are still that bright red he remembers so well. When he doesn’t immediately answer, at first the other is confused, and yet almost at the same time his face changes into one of awe as well once he recognizes the boy on the bench.

“Nagisa-kun…?” He calls out hesitantly.

“Rei-chan?” Nagisa responds, voice raspy and small from lack of use.

Rei’s purple eyes blink, as if he still can’t believe what he’s seeing. “What are you doing here? It’s so cold out, are you okay?” He repeats from a few seconds ago.

Nagisa suddenly feels self-conscious, a wave of guilt and regret washing over him as he lowers his legs from his chest and lets his feet touch the ground again. They’re hard to move and feel like ice. “I-I’m okay, I was just…” He bites his lip, thinking. “I just came to watch the sunrise.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

The other raises an eyebrow skeptically. “Without a proper coat on? Or gloves?” He takes a few steps closer to join the blond, floored by this entire interaction. “Let me see your hands.” He demands, not waiting for a proper answer as he reaches out to grab one of Nagisa’s icy hands. The blond’s heart races as he feels the warmth of Rei’s own hands through the light gloves he has on, watching as the other scans his dry and red appendages. “No frostbite…” He concludes after a couple seconds, dropping the hand from his grasp. “You’re lucky it’s not that cold yet or else you could’ve been in serious trouble.” He scolds.

Nagisa’s wide-eyed gaze doesn’t cease, still lost for words as his heart beats in his throat from nervousness. “What are you doing here?” He finally manages to get out. He feels like he’s seeing a ghost right now.

“My university is on break right now, so I came to visit home for a few days…” The blue-haired boy sits next to Nagisa on the bench. “Is your university on break too?”

Nagisa’s expression falls, turning away from Rei to look down at his ratty converse. “N-No… I live in Iwatobi now. I moved back in with my parents.”

“Oh…” Rei breathes next to him, feeling guilty for asking. “It’s just… We haven’t heard from you in months now. You… stopped talking to us once we graduated.” Rei says softly. He doesn’t know if it’s okay to bring up something like this immediately, it’s just hard not to after seeing his short friend for the first time in almost a year.

“I know…” He says, swallowing a lump in his throat and playing with his hands in his lap.

Rei has rarely seen this side of Nagisa, but ever since high school he’s known that it exists. It isn’t the Nagisa people are so used to seeing, the one with the bright smile and sparkle in his eyes. It isn’t the loud one with crude humor and a contagious laugh. It’s the one who’s distant, afraid of change and confrontation. It’s the one who feels as if he’s not good enough for failing to accomplish what others expect of him. When communication became sparse as they all separated into their different schools, no one thought anything of it at first. It took a good few weeks for Rei, Makoto, and Haru to realize that the other simply wasn’t making an effort to respond or see them anymore. They were all hurt, and yet there wasn’t much they could do about it. Nagisa still had a presence on social media and would still respond to mundane things, but when it came to actually interacting and catching up with his old friends, he practically ghosted them.

Rei took it the hardest, even if he didn’t try to show that too much. Nagisa was his best friend all throughout high school and having him go silent like that made him feel like it was something he did. He still feels like that sometimes, actually, though he knows it’s more than that. Nagisa struggles with something within himself that causes him to close off from everyone eventually.

When the other goes quiet, he sighs. “Never mind that,” He says, unzipping his jacket he has on and shrugging it off his shoulders, “We can talk about that later. But for now,” He takes the warm coat, draping it over Nagisa’s small shoulders. It’s big on him and nearly covers him like a blanket. “This should help keep you warm. You can’t sit out here at this time of year without a coat…”

Nagisa feels paralyzed by the gesture, unable to move as he feels Rei’s warmth on the coat that begins to seep into his body slowly. It almost makes him close his eyes and sigh in bliss. The coat smells like the outdoors, a hint of sweat, and the cologne Rei puts on every day. It’s the same scent he would wear in high school. Some things never changed.

As much as his body tells him not to, he starts to try and shrug off the coat out of good manners. “I-I can’t accept this, you’ll get cold.” He tries to say.

Rei’s too quick though, insistently holding the jacket to Nagisa’s frame. “I have a long sleeve shirt on, I’ll be okay.” He reminds the blond. “You need it more than me.”

Nagisa doesn’t put up a fight, instead pulling the jacket around him even tighter. Rei’s kindness and worry for him makes his eyes sting with oncoming tears, making him question why he began to distance himself from his friends. It was so stupid and unnecessary, why? He hates himself for doing such a thing.

A couple seconds of silence drag by. “Hey, Nagisa-kun,” Rei catches his attention, “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go to a nearby café and warm up.” He suggests, standing from the bench. He extends a hand out for the shorter to take. “We can catch up, if you’d like.” He smiles.

Within the smile, Nagisa can still see hurt and uncertainty. He knows that he hurt Rei when he stopped communicating and he ends up glancing between his face and extended hand with confusion. “Why…?” He asks softly.

“Hm?” Rei counters, his hand dropping slightly.

“Why are you helping me?” Nagisa clarifies.

The question catches Rei off guard since to him, helping his friend is the most obvious thing in the world. Does Nagisa not realize that he still cares about him deeply? “Why…?” He repeats as he thinks about what to say. “Because you’re my friend, Nagisa-kun. I wouldn’t ever just leave you like this, even if we haven’t talked in a while.” He answers confidently.

A warmth blooms within Nagisa’s chest to the point where he’s not shivering anymore. However, a couple of the tears that began to build from a few seconds ago finally spill over. He quickly brings up one of his hands to wipe them away as he sniffs. Wordlessly, he accepts the hand Rei reached out to him, helping him stand up on his unsteady legs. They tingle as the blood rushes back into them after sitting for so long.

“Um… I know you’re not in the greatest place right now, Nagisa-kun.” Rei tells him softly, his voice low and soothing. “I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to reach out to you, especially since I had a feeling more has been going on.”

Nagisa smiles sadly, staring down at the concrete path they stand on. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything, it’s my fault. Even if I wasn’t feeling great I shouldn’t have shut you all out. It’s not fair to you guys.”

“Maybe so… But I was willing to wait, and so are Makoto and Haru. We’re here to help you.” Rei reminds his friend sincerely.

A couple more tears well up and fall down Nagisa’s red cheeks and he takes a sleeve from his hoodie, wiping them quickly with no luck as they keep pouring. “I’m sorry…” He says weakly, nearly hiccupping after speaking.

Rei watches Nagisa overflow with emotion and he surges forward to capture the shorter into a tight hug. “It’s okay…” He tells the other, letting him have his moment.

After a few more tears a couple minutes of hugging, they finally part, even if Nagisa doesn’t really want to. Rei was warm and reminded him of all the happy memories they had when they went through school together. He wishes they could go back to that.

“I’m glad I stopped and said something.” Rei finally says, a small smile on his lips.

Nagisa smiles and laughs weakly. “Yeah, me too. That was a bit of good luck, huh?”

Rei chuckles, “Yeah, it really was.”

They finally collect themselves and start walking out of the park, the sun now fully risen and helping Nagisa feel brighter. He would’ve never expected anything like this after having so many days and weeks of feeling isolated and lost. Running into Rei feels like he got another chance, even if it will take some time to fix what he essentially had broken. He couldn’t be more thankful that his old friend had taken the time to stop and offer his help because Nagisa can now fully admit that he needed it.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you just need someone to ask if you're okay.


End file.
